The White Law PLLC firm handles accidents involving semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, big rigs, and other commercial vehicles. We are aware of the reasons for truck accidents and the horrible toll these incidents take on the victims and their families.
Our Ann Arbor truck accident attorneys specialize in cases involving large trucks and have extensive knowledge of federal motor carrier standards. We know how to read and analyze maintenance and driver logs to determine if violations played a role in the client’s injuries.
Our firm specializes in representing people who have been injured in accidents involving large trucks. We have the ability to compete with the industry heavyweights and decades of legal knowledge on our side. We will not give up when it comes to the pursuit of your fair compensation.
Who Pays for the Damages in a Truck Accident Claim in Michigan?
According to the law as it stands in Michigan, policyholders must get PIP coverage. Most trucking companies opt for the minimum PIP coverage of $250,000. If your damages exceed that amount, it may be difficult to secure further funding to cover the difference.
This is when third-party claims filed with other insurance providers can come into play. A truck accident attorney in Ann Arbor can explain the avenues for pursuing compensatory damages to ensure that your losses are fully covered.
Many entities are engaged in the operation of a semi-truck, even if it is owned and driven by its owner. This means that several entities may share responsibility for a vehicle accident and that multiple defendants may be named in a lawsuit.
Your attorney may be able to hold any of the following accountable for your crash:
The Driver
When drivers don’t take the kind of care that’s needed to control an 80,000-pound vehicle, accidents and injuries are the result. Truck crashes are typically brought on by reckless or impaired driving or by drivers who disobey traffic regulations.
The Truck’s Owners
Some trucking companies choose to lease their rigs from a third party, which often handles the truck’s registration, insurance, and repairs. If the truck in question wasn’t serviced or inspected regularly, its owner might be held responsible.
Trucking & Transportation Companies
To make up for the driver shortage, some companies may try to hire less-experienced drivers, provide less training, or force drivers to work longer hours than the law allows. They may also ignore their obligation to submit to state and federal safety inspections and standards. The actions or inactions described here could be considered negligent.
Manufacturers
If it turns out some of the truck’s parts are defective, whoever made the truck or those parts could be held responsible. Brake failures, tire blowouts, and fuel line ruptures are common causes of commercial truck collisions and injuries and have cost manufacturers millions of dollars in compensation.
Transportation and Loading Companies
The proper loading of the truck’s cargo is crucial. To avoid rolling or jackknifing, the load needs to be spread out evenly across the bed of the truck.
If cargo is loaded improperly or is permitted to leave the bay without being secured, it could shift unexpectedly and cause an accident. A truck accident lawyer in Ann Arbor can look into whether or not cargo loading had a role in your accident and pursue the negligent parties.
The negligent party’s insurance company will often foot the bill for the settlement or judgment. The legal team representing you after a semi-truck collision in Ann Arbor will examine all pieces of evidence to determine who is at fault.
Ann Arbor Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (517) 316-1195
Insurance Company Strategies Can Put Your Claim at Risk
Truck crash injury victims and their loved ones often find themselves overwhelmed by the ordeal that follows. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters often give their clients the runaround.
Common strategies employed by insurance adjusters include the following:
- Pressuring you relentlessly through phone calls and emails to accept an inadequate offer
- Asking you leading questions to make you legally vulnerable
- Falsifying the terms of the policy
- Not returning your phone calls or emails
- Refusing to move forward unless you submit numerous time-consuming and useless forms
- Refuting the severity of your injuries or putting the blame on you
- Outright denial of your claim
- Having you provide your verbal consent to a recorded statement that can be used against you
The request for call recording is a common practice among insurance companies. In most cases, people will do as you ask if you ask politely. As a result, the injured party is often taken advantage of by the insurance company without realizing it.
What they don’t explain is that your words can be turned against you and used to disprove your claim. Keep in mind that you are under no obligation to make any statements or sign any documents and can instead direct all inquiries to your Ann Arbor truck accident attorney.
For a free legal consultation with a truck accidents lawyer serving Ann Arbor, call (517) 316-1195
When do I Know I Need a Lawyer for a Truck Accident?
Claims involving truck accidents can get very complicated. There could be numerous insurance firms, legal representation, and other legal problems that you must deal with.
If you believe you may need an attorney but are unsure, there are a few important factors that will help you determine if you actually do.
Here are some signs that it’s time to talk to a lawyer about your truck accident in Ann Arbor:
Serious Injuries or Fatalities Were Involved In the Accident
You may require the assistance of a lawyer if your accident resulted in significant injuries or death for any party involved in order to help you obtain the compensation needed to compensate for all of the losses you have incurred.
Since the stakes are often quite high in a lawsuit of this kind, the opposing counsel will take every precaution to limit their liability in order to reduce the amount of the payout.
The Statute of Limitations
According to the state of Michigan §600.5805(2) , the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years. You may be unsuccessfully bargaining with the insurance company or delayed filing a claim and realize that time is running out.
The best approach to obtain compensation is to contact an attorney immediately. If you fail to settle your claim with insurance or file your claim by this date, you will forfeit your right to compensation.
In order to avoid payment, an insurance company may cease responding to your phone calls as the deadline approaches. A lawyer can assist you in avoiding this unfortunate outcome.
Receiving Low-Ball Offers
An Ann Arbor truck accident lawyer can help you determine the entire extent of your damages and discuss your options. This can prevent insurance adjusters from taking advantage of you and help you get the most money possible from a settlement.
Accident victims often don’t know that if they accept an insurance company’s settlement, they can’t take any legal action if the money isn’t enough.
Many people who are injured also don’t realize the full extent of their injuries and the subsequent costs that may follow. If the insurance company is trying to lowball your settlement offer, a lawyer can be the best tool for fighting back.
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What Representation from an Ann Arbor Truck Accident Attorney Can Do for You
Because many people don’t have the need to regularly work with an attorney, there may be benefits to having legal guidance on your side that you haven’t considered.
These are some of the ways in which a lawyer specializing in commercial truck accidents might help your case:
Collect Evidence and Determine All Liability Sources
There may be multiple accountable parties. If you don’t know about all the possible sources of liability, you might not be able to get the full amount of your damages back.
Trucking companies must comply with various safety regulations. A truck accident attorney in Houston may look at things like maintenance logs, driver logs, safety inspection reports, event data recorder data, and accident reports.
Additionally, road conditions, witness statements, and any significant evidence from the site may be considered. It can be substantially easier to gather the proof needed to validate your claim with help from a truck collision lawyer in Ann Arbor.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Your Losses
We will listen carefully to your account of what unfolded. We will listen to the specifics of your losses, such as physical injuries, pain and suffering, lost wages, and property damage, as well as the impact of your injuries.
To ensure an appropriate assessment of your long-term medical demands, your attorney for a truck accident may consult economic experts and healthcare planners.
Your truck wreck attorney in Ann Arbor will weigh and assess all of these factors to ensure that you can pursue the full amount of damages.
Manage All Correspondence With the Insurance Company and the Opposing Party
Consultation with an Ann Arbor attorney who is skilled with truck accident claims can be extremely helpful when negotiating with opposing parties. When someone is hurt in a transportation accident, it can have a devastating effect on them and their loved ones.
They have expended all of their energy and emotional reserves, and they are now too worn out or unable to handle the volume of correspondence required to pursue a claim successfully.
The legal process following an accident involving a commercial truck typically involves more than one party. A lawyer will conduct the communications with the insurer, the truck driver’s employer, and the vehicle and parts manufacturers.
Your Truck Accident Lawyer in Ann Arbor Can Provide Expert Legal Counsel
Attorneys will be involved on behalf of both the transportation company and the insurance company, and their tasks will include minimizing or shifting blame. You need the legal expertise of an Ann Arbor semi-truck accident attorney to protect your rights.
Due to the intricate rules regulating personal injury claims, legal argumentation and knowledge of how to prove negligence are critical.
The trucking company’s attorneys will immediately try to reduce their liability after the collision. Your lawyer will know how to gather and present the evidence of liability against the defendant in court, as well as how to counter any potential defense measures.
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Commercial Truck Accident Causes
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists in their truck safety report that more than 35 percent of long-haul truck drivers will be involved in a crash at some point during their careers.Both the number of trucks on the road and the total number of vehicle miles are on the increase.
To further complicate matters, There is a critical scarcity of experienced, licensed semi-truck drivers due to the growing demand for service and the shrinking supply of competent drivers.
Some of the most common reasons for accidents involving semi-trucks are listed below.
- Impaired driving
- Not conducting proper safety checks
- Drowsy or distracted driver
- Overloaded cargo
- Excessive load weight
- Defective vehicle parts
- Traffic jams or a recent accident on the highway
Semi-truck accidents are a major contributor to death and severe injuries and can have a significant impact on the lives of those involved. If someone else’s negligence caused you harm, you should not be held financially responsible.
To Find Out What a Truck Accident Lawyer in Ann Arbor Can Do for You, Arrange a Free Consultation
The majority of truck accident victims must deal with high medical costs and lost wages. Due to their difficulty in meeting their regular financial responsibilities, individuals can feel as though they have no alternative but to accept a settlement offer.
They have no other options if that offer proves to be insufficient. By agreeing to a settlement, you give up your right to take additional legal action. You can be left with the cost if medical issues emerge. Sadly, many people assume they cannot afford legal representation.
Attorneys at The White Law PLLC firm handle semi-truck accident cases without charging a fee. Because we only collect payment when your case is won or settled, there is no financial risk to you. To learn more, get in touch with us right away for a free case evaluation.
Call or text (517) 316-1195 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form